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Day 121

Well, after we had arrived back to the settlement, we were quite amazed to see the changes made to the settlement. The Mine had become a Fortress.When we moved closer to investigate, we saw the numerous changes that had been made to the old base.

I personally decided to make changes to the prison after we returned, but I also wanted to analyze the current situation and make changes to other areas as needed.

First, I suppose I’ll describe the changes in personnel that have occurred as of late.

Before our departure, the members of Parabellum, referring to those members, which had joined willingly and had either evolved or participated in some form.

Those who evolved constituted at least a [Rank-up] such as myself and Minokichi-kun. That also includes our pets, such as Kumajirou and Kurosaburou.

It was more or less around 229 individuals by my last count. There was the case of Fire Lord-kun and the Dragonewts that desired to return home after they had been freed from the human slave army, so they haven’t joined us officially yet. I’ll count them as part of the pending set.

The total is roughly 50 people, for a total of 279 people before we had left the base.

There was the situation with Fire Lord-kun and some of the others, though I've decided to not remove them from the formal number just yet. Therefore, although there are some serious changes to the overall order of the community, the issues can be dealt with in time.

The strong are obviously what makes up our hierarchy, it’s a perfect set up because if the lower ranks hold an issue to how I do things, I can put them back in their place.

It’s also useful to just have a system to determine the ranks and status of anyone and everyone at any given time.

With the large amount of people present at the fortress though, we might need to rearrange the ranks again.

The main issue is that the official count of membership is not actually 279 due to the children being born, evolved, or arrived after we had left.

The added members totaled at 167 which brought up the original population to an amazing number of 446 members.

Though given that not all of them are combat-ready assets, this number fairly equals a force of one or two complete infantry units, if not more.

I suppose I’ll need to explain step by step how and why the number of members has increased besides those already mentioned.

The increase in births is mostly coming from the human women. Aside from the girls that I saved back at the Orc’s mine, we now also have the humans, Avenger, Nicola, as well as six other human children as well. That makes for quite a few humans. Some of them have even given birth twice now!

Among those that gave birth to a child, all of them apparently received [Job - Demon Child’s Holy Mother].

I would expect that in the future the number of women who bear this [Job] will undoubtedly increase. Their children will be blessed with powerful abilities, strength and other qualities because of it as well.

However, if the current birth rate continues as it is, the future generations will face various complications. The most possible would be food shortages, insufficient tools and living space are also possible. These are just a few of the most prominent that I can think of, however, there will probably be more facing us if countermeasures are not put in place.

On the other hand, there hasn't been a single birth from the elves yet. This really does show that the elvish pregnancy rate is very low.

I think that this is a special characteristic that they’re born with that contributes to preventing a major population boom when they hold such long life spans.

With this at least, I can have some peace of mind. After all, the elves are quite popular with the masses in certain regards.

Now, I suppose I’ll move onto the Dragotaurs and the Insectoids.

These are people who were among the previous human slave army. Once they were freed, they had left to return to their own tribes. This, however, was not to be, because they had discovered that their homes had already been destroyed or had been moved to another location that they are unaware of.

Due to this, they returned here because they had no where else to go.

Losing their homes is the main reason why many people have come to join us, but there are other reasons as well.

In particular, there is the case with the Cat Fairy tribe. They still actually have their own home somewhere in the mountains.

Their reasoning, however, is that the humans still view them as simple animals, something cute, and are in danger of being captured and being made into slaves for some noble’s daughter. Since the risk is very high, they choose to bring their tribes here to seek protection.

In actuality, only the two Nail Cats had belonged to the Human slave army, just a small portion compared to the Cat Fairy tribe that had arrived here. For that reason, I’m not certain about their combat potential.

<<Parabellum>> is a mercenary troop anyway, so I decided to draft and train all 25 of them to find out more about their combat potential for war.

As it would turn out, the base rank of the Cat Fairy is roughly the same as a Goblin, while the Nail Cat is roughly equal to a hobgoblin.

Because of that, they are not able to join our main combat forces.

After some more observation, I discovered that they are quite good with their hands. Especially when they are doing their chores around the settlement.

As such, I designated them as the caretakers of our base. Their tasks generally including cleaning, organization, light labor and so on.

Then there is a beautiful flower headed woman (Dorian), she’s actually ‘that’ Dryad.

When I had left the base, I had left behind one of my clones to keep her company and keep her safe while I was out.

It turns out that she kept on absorbing his life energy and the clone had become mummified. But, because of that, she had ranked up.

She now belongs to the [Dorian] race, which unlike the tree-bound [Dryad], she is able to move freely. The appearance of the Dorian race is similar to what the name implies; the Dorians look different than the Dryads as they have flowers growing on their heads.

The Dorian’s flower is similar to that of a hibiscus with pink petals.

As she was no longer tree-bound, she came to seek me out after my clone had perished. When she appeared at the base, I gave permission for her to remain there. Rather, I had to take responsibility and take her with us. With her gaining the title of [Consort of Demon ■■], it was rather that she had come to stay with me.

Since it cannot be helped, I’ll accept her decision.

Next is explaining why the Black Skeleton Commander and the Black Undead Knight were mentioned in the current population.

These are the results of my little experiment into the history and potency of the Black Skeletons using the [Kodoku] method. Basically it’s an ancient practice of necromancers since ancient times wherein I’m allowing the Black Skeletons to [Rank-Up].

Creating them is actually quite simple.

First, I dig several big holes in the ground, then I put in several Black Skeleton Knights and Black Skeleton Axemen that I’ve been creating since long before I left the base.

For each hole, I put in a total of twenty or so Black Skeletons of any type I feel like and lastly throw in a Black Skeleton Summoner.

The last part is actually quite troublesome to generate.

Then, I put a lid on the hole so they don’t escape and I order them to destroy one another.

The total number of Black Skeletons sealed in each hole is a total of twenty one. To arise as the victor, not only does the Skeleton need to defeat the other twenty Black Skeletons, but also the [Grey Skeletons] that the Black Skeleton Summoner can create.

In actuality, the Grey Skeletons are quite weaker than any version of the Black Skeletons, but since they are continuously spewing forth, there will be quite a few of them and as such they produce quite a fair deal of experience for any of the Black Skeletons that manage to destroy them.

Well, this scheme won’t work as well in the case that the Summoner is destroyed early on, so I ordered that the summoner cannot be killed until there are no other Black Skeletons remaining at the very end of the fight.

The efficiency of this scheme is actually pretty good. As an added bonus, the remains of the Grey Skeletons that are being destroyed en masse are quite delicious to me.

To briefly describe their capacity, the Black Skeleton Commanders are able to use the ability [Summon Lesser Skeleton] which grants them the ability to call forth Black Skeleton Elites as their own servants. This allows them to create Black Skeletons for use in their own group tactics without my assistance.

The Black Skeleton Commander is quite valuable in that sense. Even if you strip away the ability to summon, they still have the combat potential equal to that of at least three average Black Skeletons. This makes me wonder if, by any chance, the Black Skeleton Commander is actually a combination of the Black Skeleton Knight and the Black Skeleton Summoner.

Unlike the Commander version, the Black Undead Knight doesn’t have any summoning type ability. But on their own, they display quite the astounding combat capability. The Black Undead Knight stands taller than any common Ogre at about three meters tall. It has eight arms. The usual pair at the shoulders and then another set below them. The other two sets are behind the previous two sets. Its eye sockets are empty with the usual luminous orbs in the place of its eyes, colored a deep red similar to blood. From its joints emanates a black sinister aura that wraps around its entire body.

Summoned Skeletons are basically just bones. They have gaps between their bones to allow facilitated movements, but unlike the normal joints of the living, their joints are just empty gaps. They are moved magically, this structure is responsible for their inhuman defensive capabilities. Since their bones are rigid and lack flesh, the Skeletons are quite resistant to slashing and piercing attacks, but they are quite brittle. If they are hit by something with plenty of force, especially when directed towards their joints, they can be made to crumble.

This, however, is no longer the case with the Black Undead Knight. Each of them have something like skin that fills in the gaps of its joints. Moreover, it has muscles and its bones are quite thick, making it far more resistant to smashing. As if its corporeal cushion is not enough, there is still another layer of defense in the form of a dark aura that is shrouded over its entire body.

This aura also serves as its specific defense against the sunlight. Common Skeletons and Undead are especially vulnerable against the sunlight and often weaken and perish when exposed to sunlight or attacks of the same attribute. But, with the dark aura, the Black Undead Knight is no longer destroyed by the sunlight alone. Of course it is still weakened by the sunlight, but it won’t ever perish from it.

In the category of strength, the Black Undead Knight can take on five of my created Ogres at the same time. If it’s pitted against the average Black Skeletons, even a dozen of them don’t seem to be able to match its might.

This is mostly due to a special feature of its body. The Black Undead Knight has two well-supported skulls that provides it with a very wide field of view, negating most of the usual blind spots.

Furthermore, its skillful handling of its own biological weaponry makes it even more deadly. In seven of its eight hands, the Black Undead Knight wields various weaponry.

These include:

[Fishbone Greatsword]

[Executioner Greataxe]

[Crusher Morningstar]

[Right Tower Shield]

[Left Tower Shield]

[Scorpion Pike]

[Composite Longbow]

All in all, the Black Undead Knights are powerful entities in both offensive and defensive capabilities. It... really makes me want to eat it.

If I was still in my old Ogre body, I’m certain that I would have secured one or two abilities just by eating one of them. That’s how powerful it is.

Though, since the [Rank-Up], securing new abilities is quite difficult. I would need to eat quite a few of them before I gain even one ability.

On the other hand, I can create it even more easily given my current body’s capacity. That pretty much means that I only need to wait a little bit, so I plan on doing just that.

Ah right, by the way, because the Black Undead Knight is basically an elite Black Skeleton Knight, they lack the training to serve in an officer’s role. Their usability is rather good because the intelligence that they have is slowly increased the longer they are active. With two skulls instead of just one, the level of combat awareness is quite high. These Black Undead Knights are certainly what Minokichi-kun will be training with when I’m not present.

Those with higher intelligence are given marks on their skulls and are given the nickname [Scarface].

It’s always great when you gain a powerful and obedient new pawn.

In the end it’s greatly useful to be able to produce these new Skeletons.

The last group to mention is the new Hobgoblin Riders that seem to have gained the ability to successfully tame a monster and turn it into their pet.

Now, for the base there are several things worth mentioning.

The current base, in addition to the <<Original Mine>> which has since become a residential area, there are 6 new facilities:

<<External Training Grounds>>

<<Farmland>>

<<Ranch>>

<<Workshop>>

<<Clinic>>

<<Hot Spring Facilities>>

Each of these has been expanded and put to use in their own ways. I’ll briefly go over their purposes.

<<External Training Grounds>>

Due to the vast increase in the number of members, I had already generated a vast space for the purpose of large-scale combat drills and other purposes. I had created nearly a [200 x 200 x 300] space for the purpose, though while we were gone it has been equipped far more efficiently. The rest of the room had been flattened, and rough terrain had been placed in certain areas. The reason I had created this room had been previously for the sake of bad weather, but now more intricate training scenarios can be implemented.

<<Farmland>>

The lands around the settlement had been cleared for the purpose of growing vegetables. This is Mika’s preferred residence. As a Dorian, she is quite well suited for farming and working with nature. As a matter of fact, plenty of other races, such as the Plant Men, and many humans with [Job - Farmer] have set themselves up working the farmland. With them working as they have, they aid in supporting the current food supply for the rest of the settlement. At the same time agriculture techniques have been developing quite nicely to work in line with Mika’s nature abilities. Some of these are creating fine, mineral rich soil where various crops can be planted and grown in a very short period of time.

Not only that, but it has also been found that through the use of several abilities, the growth potential can be greatly changed. There is a growth factor for vegetables of this world, though there are some similar to my world, such as potatoes that are planted in the <<Farmland>>. The Spirit Stones that aren't of much use to the dwarves and blacksmiths can be used as domestic water now in the form of the Water Stones. In various ways, it has made life far easier. I think this many times, but I seriously cannot help but feel inspired when thinking of what an amazing individual Velvet must have been for his Dungeon to create such a diversity of Spirit Stones. I cannot even begin to be grateful.

With that, I offered a silent prayer.

Though, with the number of people that require food increasing, it would be a little cumbersome if there weren’t any spirit stones.At least for me, Spirit Stones have become a universal elite dinner.

<<Ranch>>

With the growing number of familiars and pets we required a place to allow them to stay outside of the living quarters. Since it was already meant for storage of the combat animals, it seems that it wasn’t that much more effort to expand it slightly for the sake of free-ranging edible monsters that are captured. Since hunting requires substantial quantities of time as well as the possibility of thinning populations, this is undoubtedly a necessary source of food in the future.

This is the result of the constant expansion of the Dwarves and Leprechauns who have significant work focus. Since the Leprechauns are quite adept at making things such as superior armor and clothing made of leather, they have created an entire area for the sole purpose of the task. The other side of the <<Workshop>> is where the great noise of the Dwarves in the smithy can be heard. Here the Dwarves have already installed great dwarven furnaces where ore and other materials are refined. The Dwarves have already taken safety precautions beforehand and properly installed the furnaces, so there shouldn’t be any future complications from it, though the size is a bit excessive.

By the way, the furnaces use a large amount of Fire Spirit Stones to function. The Dwarves seem to have a way of maintaining the Spirits by creating a natural dwelling place of nature for the Fire Spirits. It’s quite unexpected, but convenient in itself.

<<Clinic>>

Injuries are a constant through our rigorous training sessions and illness is an always constant threat to any settlement. As such the medical unit «Prière» decided to centralize its workings. «Prière», led by Seiji-kun, is a necessary existence for the future of this settlement and <<Parabellum>> as a whole.

Since there is a tendency for differences to arise between the different divisions, each division has its own dedicated rooms for their personal use. The labor requirements for the task was quite large, but there wasn’t anyone lamenting over the great level of labor generated to expand the base. It helped with dealing with management and organization anyway.

<<Hot Spring Facility>>

Finally, there are the Hot Springs.

This is more or less a major money generator from the elves. I mean, it’s more or less an inn for the enjoyment of personnel and tourists.

There have been great improvements to it using the funds generated from the elves. There are now sources of entertainment and all manners of luxury.

When I visited the hot springs, I found myself bathed in luxury and relaxation. I have to mention that, when I arrived there, I found a host of elves going to and from the hot springs.

The sheer success of the hot springs is certainly higher than expected. There is probably a possibility to expand the advertisement to other races, but for the moment there are no other targets besides the elves in this forest.

The great Oaks served as building materials for all of the projects. There was surely no shortage in this regard.

Oh yes, quite a few major changes have presented themselves to us on returning indeed.

Today I went around inspecting the new facility with Kanami-chan. It was around noon when I observed the training bouts of the members for the first time in quite some time.

I watched over the new recruits and gave instructions when necessary, though a good portion of my time was invested in watching over Redhead’s bout with the Rusty Iron Knight, who was serving as an instructor.

I had several bouts with the new members, then tested old veterans of the group who had shown good growth since I had left.

I listened in on several good stories and spilled out a little smile at the overall changes I've observed.

After the training was over and I had inspected several other things, I went over to the location of the <<Workshop>> where the personal workshops of Blacksmith-san and Alchemist-san were located. There were children playing who had been allowed to participate in the training, with a certain little baby earning a hug, a certain Nicola.

The Kitchen had increased greatly in both scale and human resources with the Sisters serving as the ones standing at the helm.

After eating dinner, I observed the extensive makeover that had been done to my personal quarters.

I took several items out of my item box to decorate and personalize slightly, but overall the work done was impressive.

Well, you can certainly say that it was a meaningful day indeed.

Before going to bed, I wanted to enjoy the pure night sky overshadowing the settlement. For this purpose I went on a date with Kanami-chan and enjoyed many things...